Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-11-09
VALUABLE SHELLS.
Arrival OF Cargo of 5000 Pounds
OF Pearls.

OF Pearls.
A cargo of about 5000 pounds OF
pearl from the PHILIPPINE Islands ar
rived recently, and it will no doubt,
soon be converted into artistic shapes
for the adornment of fashionable man
sions. One OF the latest affections of
the wealthy is the addition to their
household gods Of artistIcally executed
sea and landscape paintings in oil upon
mother OF pearl shells 1t is doubtful
if one of the hundreds who purchase
them, or five out of the thousands who
admire them in the show windows on
Broadway or elsewhere, have the re-
motest idea that nature formed these
shells for any other purpose than to be
used in this style of adornment.
A large importer of shells and a
manufacturer of pearl goods, in conver-
sation with a reporter. expressed as
tonishment at the profound ignorance
of SO many persons in regard to the
different localities from which pearl
shells come, and the hundred and one
purpose for which they are used.
"How many kinds are there used in
your business?" asked the reporter.
THE VARIOUS KINDS.
THE shells which possess a COM
mercial value are known to the trade
as the Manila; Australian, Bombay,
Japan, East India, Trocus, Chinese
snail, black and red ear, and Panama.
Several of these species are pearl bear
ing shell; and are only obtained by pro-
fessional divers at the imminent risk Of
their lives. Many of these bivalveS are
| frl,
or ten pounds. The moment the na-
| tive gets one ashore he forces IL open
and; carefully removing the living in
habitants. carefully searches for any
1t may contain. Not only the shell, at
and about It's hinge, but the meat or
| ish within is thoroughly examined,
lest the pearl might be secreted, as is
| frequently the case, in the body. This
| examination over, the shells are laid
aside to dry, having first been thor
oughly cleaned. The finest shell for
manufacturing purposes comes from
the Philippine Islands and is called the
Manila. 1t ranges in price from sixty
to seventy-fVe cents a pound, and is
used for making dress and shirt but
tons, pistol stocks, cuff buttons, parasol
and umbrella handles, pen handles,
studs, and scores OF other articles, a
thin veneering is also made of it, which
is worth Sl3 a pound, and is used for
inlaying the covers of albums and fancy
cabinet work. These veneerlngs are
fairly dazzling with rainbow hues, and
when lightly polished are exceedingly
beautiful. When We have got all these
articles OF the shell there is a very little
Of the shell remaining"
sis there any difficulty or danger at
4 ,f -l,, IL.
81 should rather say there was.
There ID one species of shell shaped like
an ear, called the silver and red ear, in
The sides of which small holes, ard
| through these, by means OF long suck.
ers the fish fastens himself to a rock
When the tide has pretty nearly run
out the natives go down among the
rocks and, watching their opportunity,
catch hold OF the upper shell which the
shell1sh keeps open. Unless he sue
ceeds IN the first instance in pulling ii
from its resting place the animal will
close its shell in a second, and the
mans fingers will be held in a wise like
grip, In that case the unfortunate
pearl gatherer will have to stand up to
his knees in water unless he cuts off
his imprisoned fingers, for the shell
cannot be pried open, nor can three
men, with their united strength, pull
his guckers from the rock. The shell
Is 80 hard that it is next impossible to
smash it. There the poor fellow il
neld In agony until the tide rises, when,
unless he frees himself by chopping of
his finger ends and leaving them for
the animal to dine on, he is sure TO be
drowned.
| PEARL MANUFACTURING,
after the shells have been thor.
oughly searched for pearls, they are
cleansed and packed In cases OF about
two hundred pounds each, and shipped
to England. France, or this country.
Great ingenuity and long experience
are required to become an expert in
pearl shell working. When a manu-
facturer receives an order for lot of
| cuff buttons he is sometimes obliged to
overhaul dozens of cases in order to
obtain those of the required thickness,
and then not more than three or four
buttons can be drilled out of the heav-
lest shell. But then nothing goes TO
waste, for small buttons and other ar
ticles are made from the thinner
parts, and then, by means of a circular
saw, the scrap is cut for inlaying or
veneering. Pistol stocks require the
very heaviest shell. a pearl worker in
New York, having some time ago re-
ceived an order from an army officer
for pearl handled revolver, was
obliged to overhaul nearly a whole ship
load before he could find two shells of
| the required thickness. lie received
500 for that pistol stock.
The business of pearl manufacture
ing is comparatively new in this coun-
| try, and the profits are SO large that
| there is tendency to mOnopoliZe the
industry. In consequence all sorts of
devices are resorted to in order to OBJ
tain the advantage. Some time ago a
| large house III New Y ork bought cargo
| of pearl shells to arrive at 40 cents a
| pound While the vessel was in transit
the market fell about 40 cents. 1t was
= lucky thing for the house that the
vessel foundered off the Cape of Good
| Hope, for the concern would certainly
| have foundered had the ship come
safely to port. Manufacturers here
prefer waiting for lots of pearl shell to
arrive at New York direct from the
fisheries, instead of ordering from
London. knowing that the shells are
assorted there and the choicest picked
out for the English and French mar
| ketS. There ale several large manu-
| factories of pearl work in Newark.
! Philadelphia, Germantown, and in this
city, and since the establishment of
| this industry here the importation, of
peal buttons from England has greatly
fallen off,
"A japanese woman has discovered